Okada rejects Ban's request to provide humanitarian aid to N. Korea+

NEW YORK, April 20 Kyodo -
Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada has rejected U.N. Secretary General Ban
Ki Moon's request that Japan provide humanitarian assistance to North Korea, on
the ground that there is no guarantee the aid would reach the people in need of
it, U.N. sources said Tuesday.
Ban made the request during talks with Okada in New York on March 31, saying
North Korea may see its food situation reach a critical stage in June and July,
the sources said.
According to U.N. officials, North Korea's currency reform last November has
brought a sharp fluctuation in prices and left small-scale businesses, which
have supplemented the country's food distribution, with few reserves.
The redenomination of the won continues to affect the country's food situation
negatively, the officials said, while U.N. funds for humanitarian assistance to
North Korea will possibly run out in the middle of 2010. Ban apparently had in
mind such situations when speaking to Okada.
The U.N. sources said that during their talks Ban sounded Okada out over the
possibility of providing humanitarian assistance, such as food, to North Korea
through the United Nations.
But Okada was quoted as telling Ban, ''The issue of North Korea's abduction (of
Japanese nationals) is yet to be resolved. The North Korean nuclear problem is
also unresolved.''
The foreign minister also said that if the regime of North Korean leader Kim
Jong Il ''sought to improve (the food situation), it would be possible to do
so,'' according to the sources.
Ban took the remarks to mean that the regime ''could use the money it spends on
developing nuclear weapons or missiles for buying food'' and ''even if North
Korea gets food aid, there is a high possibility it will go to people close to
(Workers' Party of Korea) General Secretary Kim or the military.''
North Korea's recent daily food distribution is at 400 grams for one person,
the U.N. officials said.
Sources close to the U.N. Security Council said that not only the failure of
the currency reform but also the sharp decrease in foreign currency earnings
may be affecting North Korea's food situation.
The decrease in foreign currency income is a result of a U.N. Security Council
sanctions resolution adopted last year, which is contributing to blocking North
Korea's attempts to export weapons.
==Kyodo
2010-04-20 23:35:22


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